Expanding die for sheet metal presses



` Filed June 4, 1946 AN8- 8, 1950 G. G. GREENE 2,518,422

EXPANDING DIE FOR SHEET METAL PRESSES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l INVENTOR. Geary@ 0. 'reene B Y` @tm ATTORNEYS A118'- 8, 1950 G. G. GREENE 2,518,422

EXPANDING DIE FOR SHEET METAL PRESSES Filed June 4, 194e 2 sheets-sheet 2 1N VEN TOR.

30 earye 6.' @regna M Jll,

31 ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 8, 1950 fifiEXPNntNdmE FOB, SHEET METAL PREss-Es 9i nferemisyivania Q.fri-twrlfiich comprisesla metal cup to. be. fxedwtnthe" 'cifiissim of said head, .foeforming .abossrothls'ide"vall i oft'said base. v V

The 'invention further consists in.' providing reeiproeatory .had with., 'coperableidie "mem- 6 bers arranged fortransverse movement thefend off 'said' head, and means, atuated. los? the ref cipro'eaton of Y'said head to operate 'said' die inembers to f-orm a boss .on.theLsideWaHof tube base. 10 `.T"The1nvention further consists `in aA device as l' above statedr infwhichl the .means for4 operating Aone' voi" the die members is equippedawthemeans for formingla key onthedependng stem. "The g inventiozfrthe1f ..eonsists.. in.. varionsde- 'tails' of.eonstrctionA andembinationeand; ar-

v. rangements of. parts all as' 16ml. 15e herei-a'itervdeserbedi-and `lea-rtieularlypointedbut.in.the'elairns. lfhe inventionfwill be more readilywulnderstood La, by miei-enea tothe accompanying drawings. vforming `a part o this specification-, and'inwhich:

Fig. 1 :is ar vertical. sectional View of adiepress v. fernb"@dying-iv this inventionwshowing the :head in .-.raised..-position. i

.Fig. 2f is asimilaneviewshowingthe head at :thefend ofdtsfoperative stroke. Y

i' Fig.3 isfa bottoini'planview Orthernecniprdeat- W ingr head.

.4 is fsectionfz on'the lineffal'-i's oiafFig. 1. :wFigg -5 is a `transversesectionron thexline-e- 3920i Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a side' eievationionzzanz-enlargedfseale offene of; .the completed tube? bases.

" Fig. 7 is a bottom plan'fview. ofthe-,completed enbase. -@Figa `8 is Ia detail-'sectiong'of thefwlowerfrpntion fil of-theriiiefsiimilan t ;Fig.:1 butiuponejfmuehen- 1rr'largedftscalefand riFig. 9 is 'afviewsini'lartflig Slithefiiasrteabe- `ng.i11ustrated with-ethezhead atetlie lowe'rend of H:fits'operative stroke.

imlar parts arelrd'esignatedy bly theisameireferwence" characters ine.thevs'everalgures.

.fierasihereinbeforeistated, .the'i object: of thsi invention is to providemeansifoii `formingfaiioeat- 5:, ingr-boss on" theisidewaiil of ia'prefonme .'sradio tublefzbasaa and a@ key: i on'f'i'the 'edependingifstem hereoflfA-Such atuberbas'e ishniad o'f iifass' or ther-i"snitableflmetalf and ai`- eornplexe'd ibase of ing stem 23 thereof.

when assembled. The bottom 22 is slightly raised 'I'he device embodying the present invention comprises a supporting die member for a preformed tube base, such as above described, without the boss 21 and key 28, and a reciprocatory member including a head having a portion thereof adapted to enter the tube base, transversely movable die members for forming the boss 21 on the wall of the base, and means actuated by the reciprocation of said head for operating said die members. The invention also includes means for forming the key 2B on the stem 23.

Referring to the drawings, 29 indicates the support or lo'wer die member for the preformed tube base, to which said base is transferred from the -preceding die or station of the press. rI'he transfer mechanism employed may be of known form and is therefore not illustrated or described herein. The upper face of the support 29 is shaped 'to conform to the bottom of the tube base, and

is provided with a bore 30 to receive the depend- The side wall of the bore 39 is formed with a longitudinally disposed groove 3 I, for a purpose hereinafter described.

Supported above the lo'wer die member 29, and

in axial alignment with the bore 39 thereof, isa

vertically reciprocatory die member including a head 32 and a supporting plunger 33 upon which the head is telescopically mounted. The plunger 33 comprises a shank 34 by which the device is attached to the usual vertically reciprocatory member of the press (not shown) a threaded portion 35 for lock nuts 35, a reduced stem portion 31 and an enlarged lower end or head 38. The enlarged end 38 is slidably mounted within a bore 39 in the head, and is retained therein by arcuate plates 40 surrounding the stem 31 and secured to the upper end of the head, as by screws 4l, with a space or kerf 42 between the adjacent portions of the plates. 'A spring 43 is interposed between the lower nut 36 and the plates 49 to normally hold the head 32 extended or in lo-wermost position relatively to the plunger 33.

The head 32 includes a depending extension comprising a centrally disposed portion 44 of reduced diameter, and a portion 45 extending radially therefrom. See Fig. 3. The lower end of the cylindrical portion 44 is adapted to enter the tube base 20 when the head is in lowered position, and is suiciently smaller in diameter than the inner diameter of the tube base to freely enter and leave said base without binding. An arcuate slot or recess 43 is provided between the portions 44 and 45 to receive the adjacent portion of the wall 2|v of the tube base, and the lower inner edge of the portion 45 is beveled as at 41.

Attached to the lower end of the plunger 33, and extending downward through a centrally disposed bore 4B in the head 32, is a punch 49, the

lower end 59 of Iwhich is shaped to fit within the stem 23 of the tube base when the plunger reaches vits lowermost position, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 9. When the plunger 33 is raised, the punch 49 is retracted within the head 32 before the head starts itsupward movement, the spring 43 maintaining said head indepressed position until the enlarged end 38 of the plunger engages the plates 40 and raises the head.

Extending diametrically through the end of the portion 44 Iwhich enters the base 2,0, and at right angles to the path of reciprocation of the head 32, is a bore 5 I; ands'lidably mounted in the portions of said bore, betweenthe vertical bore 48 and the recess 46, is a die member or plunger 52. The end of the bore 5I adjacent the recess 46 is reduced in diameter forming an annular shoulder 53, and the plunger 52 is provided with an extension 54 of reduced diameter fitting within said reduced portion of the bore.

The ends 'of the plunger 52 are preferably formed spherically, as at 55 and 5B and the proportions are'such that when one of said spherical ends is entirely within the bore the other end projects outwardly into the bore 48 or recess 46 as the case may be. The spherical ends 55 and 56 constitute cams, so that as the portion 44 is lowered into the base 20, the upper edge of the wall 2i of the base will engage the cam end 55 and movethe plunger 52 inwardly with the end 56 projecting into the bore 48, where, by further downward movement of the punch 49, a cam shoulder 51 on the punch will engage said end and force the plunger in the opposite direction as will be more fully described hereinafter.

The portion 45 of the head is provided with a bore 58 in alignment with the bore 5l and preferably of the same diameter as the reduced portion thereof. Slidably mounted in the bore 53 is a die member 59 having a concave inner end 6D and a convex outer end 6I.' The die member 59 is provided with a longitudinally disposed, depending flange or iin 52 havinga beveled inner end forming a cam 53 to be engaged by the flared edge 24 of the base to force the said member outwardly as the head 32 is lowered, to prevent the die member from interfering with the free or unobstructed entry of the wall 2l of the tube base into the recess 46. Intersecting the bore 58 is a vertically extending bore 64 in which is mounted a reciprocatable cam pin 55 having a recess 69 on its inner face, said recess terminating at its lower end with an inclined cam face 61.

When the head 32 moves downwardly, the cam pin 65 engages meansto arrest further movement of the pin. Such arresting means may be provided by a suitable abutment as indicated at 68. With further downward movement of the head, the iiarededge 24 of the tube base engages the cam 63 and forces the die member 59 outwardly, after which the convex end face El 0f the die member 59 rides on the cam 31 and pushes the member 59 inwardly until the edge of the concave end 60 engages the outer face of the wall 2l of the tube base. -By this time the lower end of the por- -tion 44 is within the said base and resting on the bottom wall 22. This arrests the downward movement of the head 32, but the stem 33 continues to move downwardly and the punch 49 enters the stem 23 of the tube base. As the cam 51 passes `the cam face 55 of the plunger 52, it forces said plunger outwardly, so that the convex end 55 cooperates with the convex end 69 of the die mem- As the head rises, a punch 10, or other suitable means engages the upper end of the pin 65 to depress the same in order to permit retraction of the die member 59.

While the present preferred construction for carrying my invention into effect has been illustrated and described, it is to be understood that equivalent constructions are contemplated and will be included within the scope of the claims.

I claim: Y

1. In mechanism of the class described, a support for a preformed tube base provided with a depending stem comprising a bore to receive the depending stem thereof, said bore having a longitudinal groove in its side wall, in combination with a reciprocable plunger, a head telescopically mounted on said plunger, a spring interposed between said head andsaid plunger, inner and outer depending portions on said head, the

inner portion adapted to enter the tube base and the outer portion positioned radially outwardly from the inner portion, an inner die in theV inner depending portion, a cooperating outer die in the outer depending portion and positioned radially outwardly ofthe inner die, means actuated by the downward movement of said head to move the outer die into engagement with the outer face of the wall of the tube base, a punch on said plunger having a lower end shaped to conform to and adapted to enter said stem on the tube base, a cam on said punch adapted to force the inner die into engagement with the inner face of the tube base wall, and a longitudinally disposed rib on said lower end of said punch to force a portion of the wall of said stem into the groove in said support to form a key on said stem.

2. Mechanism as set forth in claim 1 in which said rib on the punch is in radial alignment with the inner and outer dies.

3. In a mechanism of the class described, a support for a preformed tube base provided with a bore to receive the depending stem thereof, in combination with a reciprocable head having an inner depending portion adapted to enter a tube base on said support and an outer depending portion positioned radially outwardly therefrom, cooperating inner and outer die members mounted in said depending portions respectively for movement toward and from one another transversely of the direction of reciprocation ofthe head, the outer die member being positioned radially outwardly from the inner die member, means on the outer die member in said outer depending portion engageable with the edge of the tube 'base to retract said outer die member as said edge enters the space between said depending portions, means actuated by the movement of said head toward said support Vfor moving said die members toward one another in a direction transversely of the direction of reciprocation of o 1,468,549

the head to form a boss on said tube base, and means associated with said head for forming a key on said stem.

4. Mechanism for forming a boss on a side wall of a preformed cup-shaped tube base and forming a key on a depending stem on the base, comprising a support for the tube base having a bore to receive the stem on the tube base and having a groove in a side of the bore and extending axially thereof, a reciprocatory plunger, a head carried by and having a limited relative movement axially of the plunger and having a central portion adapted to enter a tube base on the support and an outer portion positioned radially outwardly from said central portion and adapted to assume a position at the outer side of the side wall of the tube base, inner and outer die members mounted respectively in said central and outer portions of the head in alinement radially of the central portion for movement toward and from one another in a direction transversely of the direction of reciprocation of the head, a punch connected to the plunger and having a portion thereof shaped to enter the stem of a tube base on the support and having a rib on a side thereof in radial alinement with the die members and the axially extending groove in the bore of the support, said rib portion of the punch being operative to force a portion of the stem on the tube base into said groove and thereby form a key on a side of the stem on the tube base, a cam having means for operating it by relative movement between the support and head while the central portion of the head enters the tube base to force the outer die member inwardly against the side wall of the tube base, and a cam on the punch engageable with the inner die member and operative to force the inner die member outwardly against the side Wall of the tube base to form a boss on said wall in radial alinement with the key formed on the stern of the tube base.

5. Mechanism as defined in claim 4, including a cam on the outer die member engageable with the upper peripheral edge of the side Wall of the tube base while the central portion of the head enters the tube base for retracting the outer die member into a position to clear the side wall of the tube base.

6. Mechanism as dened in claim 4, wherein the outer end of the inner die member is provided with a spherical surface which is. engageable with the upper peripheral edge of the side wall of the tube base while the central portion of the head enters the tube base to retract the inner die member into a position to clear the side wall of the tube base.

GEORGE G. GREENE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITEDV STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Wooten Sept. 18, 1923 2,158,312 Terrell May 16, 1939 2,198,873 Hinsdale Apr. 30, 1940 2,337,401 Miller Dec. 21, 1943 2,349,037 Gibbs May 16, 1944 2,398,373 Grotnes Apr. 16, 1946 

